Minister Bolat: We are ready to share our experiences in green transformation with brother Turkish countries.

Minister of Commerce Ömer Bolat spoke at the opening of the First Ministerial Meeting of the Organization of Turkish States (TDT) Climate, Innovation, Green Economy and Trade Partnership (CIGET) held within the scope of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Antalya.

Stating that TDT is progressing successfully and its functions are increasing with each passing period, Bolat stated that the 2040 Turkish World Vision includes important targets in terms of areas such as green energy, environment, renewable energy technologies, resource efficiency and sustainable development.

Minister Bolat noted that CIGET was established at COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan, and that TDT came together two years later, on the occasion of the Antalya COP31 Summit, in line with the CIGET goal, and said:

"Our partnership, the CIGET integration formation, was built on 4 basic pillars: climate-friendly policy, innovation, green economy and sustainable trade. Our approach at the COP31 Summit held in Antalya is dialogue, consensus and action. Why action? We determined it as action for implementation. We now aim to create an application-oriented agenda where environment and climate targets are transformed into concrete policies, investments and joint projects. As the Ministry of Commerce, our priority is to use trade, investment and finance as basic tools that support green transformation." to ensure more effective use.”

Explaining that until recently they focused on environmental targets and that in order to achieve this, the financing supporting production and trade should be transformed in line with environmental targets, Bolat said that Türkiye has created a legal framework including emission reduction, compliance, carbon pricing and the establishment of the Emission Trading System with the steps taken at the international level and in the legislative field on this issue.

Bolat stated that Türkiye has developed the infrastructure for the pilot implementation period of the National Emission Trading System, increased the visibility of green investments with the Turkish Green Taxonomy and facilitated access to financing, and made the following evaluation:

"Global trade is increasingly subject to new rules transformed and shaped by the green transformation. Border carbon regulation measures, carbon taxes, eco-design requirements, sustainability standards bring about a significant adaptation process for producers and exporters in each of our countries. Therefore, it is of great importance for CSA to further strengthen our cooperation in the areas of monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon emissions, calculation of product carbon footprint, green certification, digital traceability."

Stating that the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) was signed on November 5, 2024, at the Leaders Summit held in Kyrgyzstan two years ago, Bolat said, "In this context, the infrastructure of new developments such as paperless trade and the use of electronic invoices in accordance with DEPA will also provide a strong basis for digital traceability in green trade." he said.

Emphasizing that green transformation is an important opportunity for the Turkish world, Bolat said, "Our cooperation in the field of investments and green financing are the keys to realizing this potential." he said.

Minister Bolat pointed out that each member country of TDT has difficulties in accessing affordable and long-term financing during the green transformation process and said:

"In the coming period, we should expand our cooperation in the field of green finance to strengthen our access to the resources of the World Bank, IFC International Finance Corporation, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank, international climate funds, private investors and banks. In addition, the Turkish Investment Fund, which has been established and started operating, will be a very important, key tool. The Turkish Investment Fund, the first joint financial institution of the Turkish states, will support joint projects in areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and green economy."

Stating that the renewable energy and critical materials potential of the Turkish world offers important opportunities for cross-border investments, Bolat said, "As Turkey, we are ready to share the experiences we have gained in green transformation with the sister Turkic world countries. We want to benefit from the experiences of our countries in the fields of energy, critical materials, climate adaptation and connectivity." he said.

Bolat stated that they aim to carry the CSA partnership to the implementation phase in the field of green economy and climate with the Antalya Ministerial Declaration signed today, and said, "Our efforts will also transform the dialogue, consensus and action spirit of COP31 into a productive unity throughout the Turkish world." he said.

In his speech, TDT Secretary General Mirvokhid Azimov stated that efforts to strengthen cooperation between member countries in the fields of green economy, digital transformation and sustainable development are continuing.

Azimov said that the organization adopted the document titled "Turkish Green Vision: Unity for a Sustainable Future" in order to combat climate change and develop common environmental policies.

Drawing attention to the important economic potential of the Turkish world, Azimov stated that by the end of 2025, the trade volume of TDT member countries has reached approximately 1 trillion dollars and their total population has exceeded 170 million.

Azimov stated that the organization operates with approximately 65 institutional mechanisms, including foreign policy, trade, energy, green economy and digitalization.

Explaining that the Turkish Investment Fund, which has a capital of 600 million dollars, has become operational, Azimov stated that the fund supports small and medium-sized businesses, finances important infrastructure projects and facilitates trade and investments between member countries.

On the other hand, Minister Bolat wished success to Mirvokhid Azimov, who started his duty recently.